Slo-Mo Rewatch: Guardian episode 4, part 1

[china_shop]

Hi, and welcome back to the Guardian drama Slo-Mo Rewatch. Watch half an episode a week, at your leisure, and then come and chat about it here in comments. Or you can just jump into the comments without rewatching, of course!

Here are the previous weeks' rewatch posts.

Episode 4, up to 22:30

Summary
Zhao Yunlan catches Shen Wei at a crime scene and takes him back to the SID for questioning. Zhu Hong and Chu Shuzhi both have a crack at it, but Shen Wei is unflappable. Zhao Yunlan lets him go. Lin Jing complains about the lack of evidence. Chu Shuzhi and Xiao-Guo catch Lin Yusen at the morgue, and the SID questions him. Lin Yusen takes Zhao Yunlan to see a crime scene, and on the way, Shen Wei joins them. During a minor attack, Shen Wei's arm is cut; he heals it in front of Zhao Yunlan. Zhao Yunlan, Shen Wei, and the supposed victim of the attack go to a tea shop; Zhao Yunlan is unconvinced by the victim's story but assigns Xiao-Guo to walk her home. Her boyfriend is jealous. Zhu Hong sets herself up as bait in a sting. Meanwhile, Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei take a night-time stroll patrol the area and talk about names and intimate friendship. <3 <3 <3 Then everyone is decoyed/captured/drugged, all at once. Zhu Jiu dark-energy-glues Shen Wei's feet to the ground.



Quote
Zhao Yunlan: If my mum knew I had an intellectual like you as a friend, she'd be bursting with joy.
Shen Wei: What's precious between friends is intimacy. If she saw you now, she would definitely be happy.

Detail
I love the juxtaposition of: 1) Zhao Yunlan being inadvertently distracted by Lin Yusen, 2) Shen Wei's foot being stuck to the ground, and 3) Zhu Jiu's lurking, while elsewhere 4) Da Qing is drugged with poisonous gas, 5) Chu Shuzhi runs towards the screams only to find they're a recording, 6) Zhu Hong is kidnapped, 7) Lin Jing watches helplessly from his lab, and 8) Chu Shuzhi speeds back to the site of the sting to find Zhu Hong gone.

Questions
Do you have a stand-out favourite scene or quote from the first half of episode 4? A favourite part of the interrogation scene, specifically? Are there any other SID members you would have liked to see interrogate Shen Wei? (*koff* all of them!! *koff*) Do you sympathise with Lin Yusen? How does Zhao Yunlan justify to himself allowing Shen Wei to join the investigation, after telling Lin Yusen, "A professional's job should be done by professionals"? If you can remember your first watch, did you find Zhang Danni suspicious at this stage? Does Zhao Yunlan know Zhu Hong and the others have set a trap for the serial killer? How could they have set their trap more effectively? Who do you think is the most competent member of the SID (excluding Zhao Yunlan), at this stage? How heart-clutchy is the "intimate friendship" conversation on a scale of 1 to 10,000? If you're familiar with the novel, any thoughts about how the drama adaptation compares?

(As usual, these are all just conversation starters - feel free to answer all, some, or none, and to say as much or as little as you like! You don't have to be keeping up with the rewatch to join in. We'd love to hear your thoughts!)

And here is our schedule, where you can sign up to host a post!

Comments

[china_shop]

I love everything about the interrogation scene!! Shen Wei is gorgeous and stubbornly refusing to give an inch of explanation for his presence, Zhu Hong is gorgeous and affronted, Chu Shuzhi is gorgeous and threateningly cleaning his doll, Zhao Yunlan is gorgeous and entertained and just can't take Shen Wei seriously as a villain. <3 <3 <3 The tension is delicious. Shen Wei is completely in control. It's fantastic.

My second third favourite scene in this half ep is ZYL and CSZ talking on the mezzanine. I love the vibe of "here are the adults talking". I love that CSZ has taken initiative in tailing Lin Yusen with his doll,[1] and ZYL immediately understands what he's doing and compliments him for it. And then CSZ turns the compliment back on him.

[1] I misunderstood this once, thinking CSZ was tracking SW, which led to this AU fic.

My actual second favourite scene is, of course, the night-time stroll/patrol, where again both of them look gorgeous, they're walking in step, Shen Wei has dressed down in a "meeting ZYL halfway" gesture, and when ZYL claims friendship, SW one-ups him with "Our relationship is not about status" and also "We are intimate friends." *hearts so much ahhhhhha sdf;lkadsjfakds*

Lin Jing found no trace of dark energy on the jacket, so I guess under normal circumstances, Dixingren leave traces of dark energy around.

Fierce and determined Zhu Hong is a thing of beauty. I wonder why she's so determined on this particular case. Is it because she's got a taste for fieldwork now, or is it that all the victims are female, or something else?

No one has told GCC about the case. I wonder if CSZ is impatient because he's feeling bad for excluding him. And then we have the misdirect with Lin Yusen, and his ridiculous sketch which nicely undercuts the seriousness of everything. <3

ZYL tells Lin Yusen to rein in his heroic dream (hypocrisy, much?) and tries to give him the brush-off, but immediately lets Shen Wei join in the investigation. Maybe it's better to have Professor Shen where he can keep an eye on him?

SW: After seeing it with my own eyes, I know how despicable he is. Not catching him makes me extremely worried and troubled.
But what did he see with his own eyes?? Zhang Danni his fine.

And then they're immediately walking close and in step. <3 <3 <3 Ha, Shen Wei gives ZYL a character reference: "This Chief Zhao may look sloppy, but he is assured. I think that now, he has his own conclusions." <3 <3 <3

Zhang Danni's bf runs at Shen Wei but away from ZYL - huh. I wonder if Zhu Jiu told them to target/test Shen Wei.

Omg, the state of ZYL's jeans!! I love him!!

Ha, Zhang Danni wants an escort home, but ZYL really wants to stay with Shen Wei. Good thing GCC turns up when he does.

SW pointing out the blood at the crime scene doesn't match the victim -- I really strongly feel the SID should have noticed that!

Zhang Danni is very dismissive of men given that none of the SID men expressed the slightest interest in her.

Da Qing is taking the stakeout more seriously this time. Zhu Hong's dress is so pretty.

ZYL: Profession Shen, don't stand on ceremony with me.
SW: *eyeroll* (translation: expressing sympathy for your loss is not mere politeness, you dork!)

Are there any other SID members you would have liked to see interrogate Shen Wei?

Da Qing would have been hilarious? :D :D :D

Do you sympathise with Lin Yusen?

Not really, but the comparison with Guo Changcheng is interesting. Changcheng is a million times better at following orders.

How does Zhao Yunlan justify to himself allowing Shen Wei to join the investigation, after telling Lin Yusen, "A professional's job should be done by professionals"?

Better to keep Professor Shen where he can keep an eye on him and protect him, maybe?

If you can remember your first watch, did you find Zhang Danni suspicious at this stage?

I don't remember.

Does Zhao Yunlan know Zhu Hong and the others have set a trap for the serial killer?

I don't think he does.

Who do you think is the most competent member of the SID (excluding Zhao Yunlan), at this stage?

CSZ a thousand times. I love him!!

How heart-clutchy is the "intimate friendship" conversation on a scale of 1 to 10,000?

10,000!! <3 <3 <3

[donutsweeper]

Nothing to do with this episode in particular, but I am so curious about the wall of clocks, it's such a neat look but does it have a purpose?

The interrogation is a bit odd, I'm not sure why they had Shen Wei mention the Yashou, him knowing about the Dixing was already unusual enough but to also know about the Yashou? And as many details as he did? That seemed like it should have been something that would have caused at least some questions on behalf of the SID.

Shen Wei healing himself was an interesting choice. Did he think ZYL wouldn't notice or that it looked like somehow he'd just gotten blood on his arm and was wiping it off? I do like that only a few minutes later they show us that, no, ZYL is not dumb and is remembering all the various times Shen Wei wasn't hurt when he should have been and wondering about it.

And the nice nod and mention of the "Wei" backstory! *sighs happily*

The sting operation falling apart the way it did was meh. It's a common trope (although one I don't particularly like) that for some reason the bad guys know everything and counter the good guys' plans for no real reason in particular. No matter what the team did, the writing needed it to go this way so it did.

I really thought Zhu Jiu was going to be the big bad throughout the drama due to the way he'd been introduced, I'm still not sure if random editing changed his role or not.

[china_shop]

Nothing to do with this episode in particular, but I am so curious about the wall of clocks, it's such a neat look but does it have a purpose?

Presumably for when they're communicating with people in other time zones. But what's weird about it is all the minute-hands are pointing to different numbers, too. Usually time zones only differ by the hour.

The interrogation is a bit odd, I'm not sure why they had Shen Wei mention the Yashou

In a narrative sense, I suspect it's for the benefit of people who weren't really paying attention before or who didn't have enough context in episode 1 to understand the significance of Shen Wei mentioning Dixingren to ZYL. Here, again, we see him being quite open about his knowledge, so we know that it's deliberate. In-universe, as far as the interrogation goes, my feeling is that he plays the innocent professor until Zhu Hong points out that his nerves are too steely. Then he decides he might as well just be himself (without confirming his identity in any way), and the gloves come off, you know?

Shen Wei healing himself was an interesting choice.

I think it's partly reflexive habit, and partly that he doesn't want Zhao Yunlan to worry. It happens too quickly for him to consider that it might look suspicious -- and yeah, he's hoping it looks like someone else's blood.

I do like that only a few minutes later they show us that, no, ZYL is not dumb and is remembering all the various times Shen Wei wasn't hurt when he should have been and wondering about it.

Yes, I love him being smart and putting the pieces together. <3 <3 <3

It's a common trope (although one I don't particularly like) that for some reason the bad guys know everything and counter the good guys' plans for no real reason in particular.

It works for me here because a) they've only had a couple of cases before, so the team is still learning, and b) I don't think ZYL was involved in the planning. This was Zhu Hong's brainchild -- that makes it unsurprising to me that it didn't work out. But you know, each to their own. You don't have to agree. :-)

I'm still not sure if random editing changed his role or not.

I'm not quite sure what you're saying here. Do you mean that the show might have originally not intended for Ye Zun to be the main villain? Because I'm pretty sure he was always going to be part of it: his story and themes, and Shen Wei's reactions, are all woven in right from the start -- whereas no one has any emotional connection with Zhu Jiu. He's just a plain villain. (Sorry if that's not what you meant!)

I can see why they held off introducing Ye Zun, too: we have time to discover that Zhu Jiu is a formidable enemy, and then we discover there's something even more powerful behind him -- that makes Ye Zun a real threat!! :-)

[facethestrange]

"Meanwhile, Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei take a night-time stroll patrol the area and talk about names and intimate friendship. <3 <3 <3"

I read this and I went asdfghjfkdjkl;; it's just a thing they do wherever/whenever they are, isn't it. :D :D And now I need to post this. :D ♡___♡


(The link is not the source because OP deactivated their account, but it's on tumblr here.)

I'll be back whenever I finished rewatching. :D *goes back to editing another 6K words of Weilan smut*

Alsoooooo I just really need to say how much I absolutely LOVE that this rewatch is a thing even if I haven't participated much so far?? ♡♡♡ Like, it's the best thing to come back to every time. ♡♡♡

[And this is all off-topic, so feel free to ignore me. xD

Two more days and I'll be finished with most of what I was going to make in October (not all of it tho, lol), so I hope I can rejoin the sixty-billion comments club? :D :D And maybe even finally host something once I see that I comment consistently again. :D

I wrote 15K or so in the last two weeks (idek exactly, I don't keep wordcounts)?? Plus 3 drawings. Hypothetically speaking, would anyone be in any way interested in me rambling in private about whatever I'm making even if I don't have any questions? ♡ I probably won't because idek where to start, but somehow I ended up with nearly everything I've been making recently staying unrevealed for weeks and weeks, and I can't mention it anywhere in public, and it's getting lonelier by the day, lol. As much as events are awesome, I do like it better when at least half of everything I make is just for myself and instantly public and I can ramble about it anywhere. :D]

[china_shop]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, that gif!!! *deploys YOHE icon* <3 <3 <3

I'll be back whenever I finished rewatching. :D

\o/!!

I wrote 15K or so in the last two weeks (idek exactly, I don't keep wordcounts)?? Plus 3 drawings.

Oh wow!! That's amazing!! (How??!!)

so I hope I can rejoin the sixty-billion comments club? :D :D And maybe even finally host something once I see that I comment consistently again. :D

It would be lovely to see you back around more! (I know I haven't been around super much this week either, for reasons. But still!! *clings*)

but somehow I ended up with nearly everything I've been making recently staying unrevealed for weeks and weeks, and I can't mention it anywhere in public, and it's getting lonelier by the day

*hugshugshugs* It's so hard when reveals are delayed. :-( Hypothetically, rambling about what you're making sounds awesome!! I have some other commitments this month and my arms are intermittently messy, so I can't promise to be very chatty or quick to respond, but I'm very happy to listen. (Zero obligation if that's not enough/not what you're looking for. <3)

*waves goodnight*

[trobadora]

I will also come back when I've rewatched (INTERROGATION SCENE BY BELOVED!!!), but I just need to sprinkle hearts all over that gif right now. It's perfection! ♥ ♥ ♥

Two more days and I'll be finished with most of what I was going to make in October (not all of it tho, lol), so I hope I can rejoin the sixty-billion comments club? :D :D And maybe even finally host something once I see that I comment consistently again. :D

Good luck with your edits and creations! So glad you're enjoying the rewatch, and I'm definitely looking forward to you rejoining the sixty-billion-comments club. :D Fingers crossed for the hosting, too!

I wrote 15K or so in the last two weeks (idek exactly, I don't keep wordcounts)?? Plus 3 drawings.

You are amazing!

I'd totally be here for some private rambling - what did you have in mind? I'm not great at real-time chat, but email or PMs would work great for me. I feel you on the long unrevealed periods, too. One of my exchanges is currently delayed by three weeks. (And I have trouble considering anything finished that's not gone live yet, so I'll keep fiddling with it right until reveals ...)

[facethestrange]

What you said about their stroll gave me even more feels about the gif (and I already had plenty :D ♡___♡) because in YOHE they were also technically patrolling, but in the end it's this soft intimate walk, AW, such a perfect parallel in more ways than I thought! ♡♡♡

"Oh wow!! That's amazing!! (How??!!)"

♡♡♡!! (By not talking to people, apparently. xD Not an advisable method! :P) *CLINGS TOOOOOO*

"Hypothetically, rambling about what you're making sounds awesome!! I have some other commitments this month and my arms are intermittently messy, so I can't promise to be very chatty or quick to respond, but I'm very happy to listen. (Zero obligation if that's not enough/not what you're looking for. <3)

*allll the hugs* ♡ And aww, thank you so much!! ♡♡♡ It is what I'm looking for - I may feel awkward and just not do it anyway, but honestly just being able to ramble AT someone would help a lot, no need to be chatty and no pressure to respond. :D

It's not even the reveals being delayed - I welcomed some of the delays with relief because I have more time to edit. ;D It's just that nearly everything (other than 2 tiny Bingo ficlets) that I made in October so far has been for unrevealed events, and that made me realize that I need a bit of a higher percentage of things that I make just for the heck of it (Bingo entries are definitely just for the heck of it :D). Now that I know that, I hope for a more balanced ratio in November. :D (And definitely also a more balanced ratio of making things all day vs. talking, lol, I neeeeeed talking. :P)

Goodnight!! ♡♡♡

[facethestrange]

"I just need to sprinkle hearts all over that gif right now. It's perfection! ♥ ♥ ♥"

ISN'T ITTTT. ♡♡♡ I never would have noticed the visual parallel without it, and now I can't ever unsee it. ♡♡♡ (And now the extra parallel too, which I didn't even catch until china_shop said that they're also technically patrolling. :D)

"I'd totally be here for some private rambling - what did you have in mind? I'm not great at real-time chat, but email or PMs would work great for me."

Eeee, thank you! ♡♡♡ I'll see if I feel too awkward to take you up on it, but hopefully not, and I appreciate it so much!! ♡ Any chat in real-time is definitely not for me ever, so we're 100% on the same page here. :D

Ooof, sorry to hear about the three-week delay! As I said above, it's not really the delays themselves for me, it's that after wishlist I made 9 things for unrevealed events, including multiple 3K+ fics vs. only 2 tiny ficlets that were instantly public and written for no particular reason (well, they were both for Bingo, but that's the same category as 'I just made it on a whim' :D I have a bingo drawing coming up still *bounces*), and I found out that I prefer a different ratio. I'll be learning how to balance it out, now that I know what I need. :D (And I also need more human contact, period. xD)

[donutsweeper]

It's been awhile since I watched straight through - obviously Ye Zun had to become the top badguy, but I just remember thinking it odd how much they'd built up Zhu Jiu over so many episodes only to have his story seem to suddenly end. It just felt abrupt and unfinished to me at the time.

[trobadora]

No need to feel awkward about it, feel free to talk anytime.

Always glad when I'm not the only one not into real-time chat. *g*

That is SO many things! Good luck with reveals when they come! And fingers crossed for finding a good balance soon. ♥

[china_shop]

because in YOHE they were also technically patrolling, but in the end it's this soft intimate walk, AW

Yes! Keeping lookout! *smishes themmmm*

I may feel awkward and just not do it anyway, but honestly just being able to ramble AT someone would help a lot, no need to be chatty and no pressure to respond. :D

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 I've PMed you. *wraps you in a big hug that is at least 50% shared Guardian enthusiasm* ;D

[china_shop]

Oh, right, I see what you mean. That makes sense. Yeah, I guess it's part of the mid-show turning point...

[china_shop]

INTERROGATION SCENE BY BELOVED!!!

Yesssssssssss! :D

[trobadora]

Then everyone is decoyed/captured/drugged, all at once.

Hee! I do love that while everything is happening with the team, Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan are still in their own world of intimate friendship in the park, presumably having no idea any of this is going on. ♥ ♥ ♥

(And Zhu Jiu is there too, of course - does he know what's going on elsewhere? Is he making sure Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan won't interfere? We know he gave not!Zhang Danni and Jia Hui a task to execute, after all ...)

Do you have a stand-out favourite scene or quote from the first half of episode 4?

INTERROGATION ROOM SCENE INTERROGATION ROOM SCENE INTERROGATION ROOM SCENE INTERROGATION ROOM SCENE INTERROGATION ROOM SCENE !!!!

A favourite part of the interrogation scene, specifically?

Maaybe the little smirk when Chu Shuzhi grabs his arm to stop him from touching the puppet! But really, EVERYTHING. One of my favourite scenes in the whole drama. ♥ ♥ ♥

Are there any other SID members you would have liked to see interrogate Shen Wei? (*koff* all of them!! *koff*)

Yep. All of them! But actually, especially Da Qing (because it would be so interesting to see how Shen Wei handles him and his missing memories!) and Wang Zheng (because I honestly have no idea how that would go).

Do you sympathise with Lin Yusen?

I don't feel like I have a good grasp on his character, but I don't particularly like him. (The part that intrigues me the most isn't until next episode, so I'll mention it then.)

How does Zhao Yunlan justify to himself allowing Shen Wei to join the investigation, after telling Lin Yusen, "A professional's job should be done by professionals"?

He tells himself he's keeping an eye on the very suspicious professor, because something is clearly up with him. Also, Shen Wei obviously knows about all of this stuff, Dixingren and Yashou and Hallows and all; Zhao Yunlan does believe he's innocent (of this particular crime), but he's also clearly not an outsider in the way Lin Yusen is.

Does Zhao Yunlan know Zhu Hong and the others have set a trap for the serial killer? How could they have set their trap more effectively?

I don't think he has a clue. And one thing I particularly noticed this time is that Zhu Hong has an earbud, but apparently Chu Shuzhi and Da Qing don't! But mostly I think they were going to fail regardless because no one could have predicted not!Zhang Danni's green mist power. She could have handled not just Da Qing, but Zhu Hong and Chu Shuzhi too, if necessary.

Who do you think is the most competent member of the SID (excluding Zhao Yunlan), at this stage?

LOL, not even a competition - Chu Shuzhi. Though I think Da Qing is perfectly competent too when he's sufficiently motivated to not fall asleep.

(Speaking of - this is the second time Da Qing passes out while on watch, but this time it's not his fault! Aw. Repeated motifs and all.)

How heart-clutchy is the "intimate friendship" conversation on a scale of 1 to 10,000?

知心 知心 知心 !!!!

That whole conversation, seriously! Zhao Yunlan calls them friends but isn't serious about it, jokes about Shen Wei being impressive as an intellectual - and Shen Wei isn't having that; he immediately turns it serious and refuses both the joking and the status issue, because what matters is 知心!!!! AHHHHHH.

Okay, on to my notes:s

We start with a repetition of the moment at the end of the previous ep, but unlike that verision, this one doesn't show Zhao Yunlan dropping his hand with the torch.

Chu Shuzhi has Lin Yusen by the throat and calls him an ordinary person - apparently he can tell. (It's not very consistent when they can tell and when they can't. Possibly there's some explanation that can make it all fit together, but if so I haven't found it yet. *g*)

(If Dixingren were easily recognised all the time, wouldn't the SID have an easier time? And also, wouldn't the Inspectorate insist on screenings of some kind later in the drama, after things get out of hand? There have to be complicating factors involved.)

Zhao Yunlan calls, and Zhu Hong then days they caught a suspect - Shen Wei. I'm so curious how Zhao Yunlan worded it!

INTERROGATION ROOM SCENE MY BELOVED.

Shen Wei starts out trying to focus Zhu Hong on reasonable arguments about crime scene evidence, but she's having none of it - she goes straight for Shen Wei himself being suspicious, never mind other evidence. And he apparently decides, fine, then the gloves come off. And goes into full troll mode. His little smirk! :D

I love how intently Zhao Yunlan is watching, not just suspicious but drawn. And how he laughs when Shen Wei scores against Zhu Hong - he's into this version of Shen Wei, too. Shen Wei isn't even trying to appear unsuspicious; he's in fact showing exactly how much he's not the innocent, uninvolved professor, and Zhao Yunlan is absolutely here for that and the person he shows himself as.

How quickly Shen Wei gets under Zhu Hong's skin, and she storms out! Awww.

And then Chu Shuzhi tries to be creepy at Shen Wei, and Shen Wei turns full troll mode against him, too. Hee! (There's a moment when Shen Wei's smirk is very close to Ye Zun's - their expressions are usually so different, it really stands out. Shen Wei doesn't do full troll mode very often, alas!)

Chu Shuzhi is sharp - he recognises the similarity between Professor Shen and the Envoy. But he can't conceive of them actually being the same person! Shen Wei's reaction to the comparison is so fascinating. He huffs a laugh, looks down, turns to Zhao Yunlan behind the mirror, and then says the person Chu Shuzhi is talking about must be a great hero.

When he's turning to Zhao Yunlan, I always feel like he wants to say, approximately, LOL, are you hearing this? And him calling himself a hero is either self-mocking, or as marycrawford once suggested, he's redirecting the compliment from himself to Zhao Yunlan, as if that was who Chu Shuzhi had been talking about. (I really like that interpretation.)

I think Shen Wei looking so directly at Zhao Yunlan (can he see through the mirror?) is also prompting him to deal with this directly, rather than throwing his team at Shen Wei. That look, at least in part, conveys that this is between them. (Creepy if it were anyone else! But it's Weilan, so. *g*) And Zhao Yunlan does come out and asks Shen Wei directly if he's involved.

(There's a bit in there where the Viki subs are the only ones that translate it right: "We don't usually bring back ordinary criminals, witnesses, or suspects to our headquarters.")

Shen Wei answers immediately and earnestly that the cases all have nothing to do with him. (All true!) And they stare at each other for a very long moment as everyone else watches, before Zhao Yunlan laughs, figuratively throws up his hands, and lets Shen Wei go. (Considering the possibility of coincidences after all! I guess Wang Yike's case taught him something? *g*)

Da Qing, like Zhao Yunlan, recognises that Shen Wei is suspicious, but also doesn't think he's involved.

Zhu Hong grabs Lin Jing's ear! Aw. And he's checked Lin Yusen's jacket for traces of black energy. (Again, as I said above, if Dixingren were so easily recognised, several things should be different - but the black energy traces could absolutely be a thing if someone's recently used black energy, as opposed to just existed somewhere.)

I think Zhu Hong being so proactive and insistent on doing something is because Shen Wei got under her skin and she wants to prove herself. *pets her*

Chu Shuzhi and Zhao Yunlan talking about the case is the first time we see them have a proper conversation. Chu Shuzhi says the marks on the victims' bodies suggest the criminals' powers aren't very strong. Presumably because otherwise they could subdue people with black energy? (But not!Zhang Danni totally could when the victim is Dixingren or Yashou - her powers just don't work against Haixingren, right? So here's the reason they underestimate their opponent later, with the sting gone wrong.)

Chu Shuzhi says he learned "casting a long line to catch the big fish" from Zhao Yunlan. A callback to the conversation he had with the Envoy at the end of episode 2, where he said the Envoy and Zhao Yunlan both like to fish.

Shen Wei claims he's seen with his own eyes how vile the criminal is. And Zhao Yunlan doesn't even question that, even though we have no idea when/how he might have seen anything. (Definitely not in that alley.) After having stumbled into the case in that alley, did he follow up and do some research? Or did they at some point confront him with the photos Lin Jing had?

Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan walking side by side in synch, clearly a team that Lin Yusen isn't part of. Even this early on! ♥ ♥ ♥

If it was so easy to tell who's Dixingren, Shen Wei should be able to tell about Zhang Danni when Zhao Yunlan throws her at him, if he didn't already realise in the alley. And he's suspicious of her - but does it seem to anyone that he realises she's Dixingren? Surely he'd act as the Envoy if he knew and suspected her of being involved in the face-stealing?

When Jia Hui draws blood, Shen Wei apparently heals himself instinctively, without thinking about it, then wipes the blood away as if it's someone else's once Zhao Yunlan notices. And Zhao Yunlan does seem genuinely glad that Shen Wei isn't injured, though he doesn't miss that this is another cause for suspicion. *g*

Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei taking turns lecturing Lin Yusen! So hilarious because theoretically Shen Wei is just as much an outsider to the investigation, but Zhao Yunlan never treats him as one. ♥

I love the conversation at the café where Shen Wei points out that the evidence makes Zhang Danni suspicious, and Zhao Yunlan then promptly thinks about all the evidence that makes Shen Wei suspicious. Flashbacks! :D (I think at this point he's wondering if Shen Wei has some kind of invulnerability power.) And I also love that Zhao Yunlan makes a point of letting Shen Wei know he has suspicions; he doesn't hide that any more than Shen Wei hides his suspiciousness. ♥ ♥ ♥

I do love that Zhao Yunlan has already sent Da Qing to keep an eye on not!Zhang Danni.

The dynamics between not!Zhang Danni and Jia Hui are so ouch. And we learn Zhu Jiu's name from her talking about a task Zhu Jiu gave them. (What's that task? I don't remember.)

You pointed out during the last rewatch that there are three used glasses on the table, and now I notice it every time. *g* Did Zhu Jiu visit them? But Jia Hui pours himself water with a fourth glass, so who knows how long these three have been sitting on the table. Could be from before it even was their lair.

Lin Jing thinks Zhu Hong playing honeytrap is hilarious - it's so very not her. And Da Qing thinks the same, though he doesn't laugh at her as openly. *g* I wonder how Zhu Hong talked everyone into not just doing this, but keeping Zhao Yunlan out of it? Because I have no doubt this is her brainchild. She's very keen.

Meanwhile Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan are taking a stroll in the park. Asking Shen Wei about his name, awww! We all know EXACTLY which scene is going through Shen Wei's head - so much so that I always forget there isn't in fact a flashback here. *g*

When Shen Wei frees himself from Zhu Jiu's black energy trap, he starts searching with black energy - presumably not for Zhu Jiu, but for Zhao Yunlan, because he stops searching and rushes off the moment he finds him (hears Zhao Yunlan's voice). Priorities! *g*

Such a good episode, so much great stuff. :D :D :D

[china_shop]

And Zhu Jiu is there too, of course - does he know what's going on elsewhere? Is he making sure Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan won't interfere?

That makes sense to me! He wants to keep tabs on Shen Wei and figure him out, but also, ideally he wants to keep the SID separate from its leader so the others can do their thing.

INTERROGATION ROOM SCENE INTERROGATION ROOM SCENE INTERROGATION ROOM SCENE INTERROGATION ROOM SCENE INTERROGATION ROOM SCENE !!!!

:DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

But actually, especially Da Qing (because it would be so interesting to see how Shen Wei handles him and his missing memories!) and Wang Zheng (because I honestly have no idea how that would go).

Haha, it would be so weird to send Wang Zheng in to interview him. She's HR! But I'd love to see it too. And yes, definitely DQ. (Oh, do I have to try to write that? Ooh. *makes a note*)

He tells himself he's keeping an eye on the very suspicious professor, because something is clearly up with him.

I wonder how much it's suspicion and how much protectiveness, at this stage. He wouldn't want SW investigating on his own and getting hurt/face wiped... But yeah, great point about him not seeming an outsider.

But mostly I think they were going to fail regardless because no one could have predicted not!Zhang Danni's green mist power. She could have handled not just Da Qing, but Zhu Hong and Chu Shuzhi too, if necessary.

Yeah, it's a super effective power against the SID, especially. /o\

Zhao Yunlan calls them friends but isn't serious about it, jokes about Shen Wei being impressive as an intellectual

I don't know if he's not serious, or if he just can't express it with sincerity. Like, I think he wants it to be true, but it's going out on a limb to assert it, so he dresses it up in compliments. And it gives SW an opening to genuinely confirm it and take it that step further? That's how I see it, anyway: ZYL wanting but unable to fully admit he wants.

(It's not very consistent when they can tell and when they can't. Possibly there's some explanation that can make it all fit together, but if so I haven't found it yet. *g*)

Yeah, it's a bit confusing. CSZ seems so sure sometimes...

And he apparently decides, fine, then the gloves come off. And goes into full troll mode. His little smirk! :D

Such delightful trollery!! OMG!! <3 <3 <3

And how he laughs when Shen Wei scores against Zhu Hong - he's into this version of Shen Wei, too. Shen Wei isn't even trying to appear unsuspicious; he's in fact showing exactly how much he's not the innocent, uninvolved professor, and Zhao Yunlan is absolutely here for that and the person he shows himself as.

Ooooh, that's a great point. I love that! Hmm...

or as marycrawford once suggested, he's redirecting the compliment from himself to Zhao Yunlan, as if that was who Chu Shuzhi had been talking about. (I really like that interpretation.)

Yes, I always think that now, too. <3 <3 <3

There's a bit in there where the Viki subs are the only ones that translate it right: "We don't usually bring back ordinary criminals, witnesses, or suspects to our headquarters."

Ah, see, every time I hit that line, I think it's:

ZYL: We don't usually bring back ordinary criminals--
SW: witnesses
ZYL: --suspects to our headquarters.

Like, a little wrangle about SW's status. But SW's lips don't move, so I have no idea.

And they stare at each other for a very long moment as everyone else watches

ZYL looking for a single tiny hint of explanation about what the hell is going on with this man! *g*

I think Zhu Hong being so proactive and insistent on doing something is because Shen Wei got under her skin and she wants to prove herself. *pets her*

Oh, great point. That has to be a contributing factor. *pets her too*

Shen Wei claims he's seen with his own eyes how vile the criminal is. And Zhao Yunlan doesn't even question that, even though we have no idea when/how he might have seen anything.

And the case is supposed to be secret, right? Even Guo Changcheng doesn't know about it!

Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei taking turns lecturing Lin Yusen! So hilarious because theoretically Shen Wei is just as much an outsider to the investigation, but Zhao Yunlan never treats him as one. ♥

I always read that as SW in professor mode counselling someone who's pretty much student age (or acting like it). I think ZYL does, too, and that's why he links it to intellectualism later.

And I also love that Zhao Yunlan makes a point of letting Shen Wei know he has suspicions; he doesn't hide that any more than Shen Wei hides his suspiciousness. ♥ ♥ ♥

Yes! ZYL is treating the thing between them as a game, at this point, right? Smiling triumphantly at having caught SW out.

I do love that Zhao Yunlan has already sent Da Qing to keep an eye on not!Zhang Danni.

Yes! It makes up for sending Xiao-Guo off with her!!

And we learn Zhu Jiu's name from her talking about a task Zhu Jiu gave them. (What's that task? I don't remember.)

I always thought it was setting up the situation so he can explode Lin Yusen -- but now I'm not sure. It could be kidnapping the SID team members.

But Jia Hui pours himself water with a fourth glass, so who knows how long these three have been sitting on the table. Could be from before it even was their lair.

LOL! Housekeeping is not a thing for them, apparently.

Lin Jing thinks Zhu Hong playing honeytrap is hilarious - it's so very not her.

It always feels so mean to me. Just because it's not ZH's usual style, doesn't mean she looks silly and laughable. I think she looks amazing!! ;-p

We all know EXACTLY which scene is going through Shen Wei's head - so much so that I always forget there isn't in fact a flashback here. *g*

I know, right? *hearts and hearts*

When Shen Wei frees himself from Zhu Jiu's black energy trap, he starts searching with black energy - presumably not for Zhu Jiu, but for Zhao Yunlan, because he stops searching and rushes off the moment he finds him (hears Zhao Yunlan's voice). Priorities! *g*

Oh, I thought he was looking for Zhu Jiu, but Zhao Yunlan's exclamation interrupts, and he goes off to check on him instead. Like, he doesn't want to get caught mid-dark-energy-vision, AND he's partly there to keep ZYL safe, so...?

Srsly, best episode! (I've written SO MUCH FIC for this ep, lol.)

[trobadora]

I love everything about the interrogation scene!! Shen Wei is gorgeous and stubbornly refusing to give an inch of explanation for his presence, Zhu Hong is gorgeous and affronted, Chu Shuzhi is gorgeous and threateningly cleaning his doll, Zhao Yunlan is gorgeous and entertained and just can't take Shen Wei seriously as a villain. <3 <3 <3 The tension is delicious. Shen Wei is completely in control. It's fantastic.

YES! All of this! It's gorgeous and glorious and I love it so much.

I love the vibe of "here are the adults talking".

Haha, right???

and when ZYL claims friendship, SW one-ups him

YESSS, that is so great!!!!!!

so I guess under normal circumstances, Dixingren leave traces of dark energy around

Possibly only if they're actively using black energy - that seems more plausible to me, otherwise it would be much easier to find them?

I wonder why she's so determined on this particular case. Is it because she's got a taste for fieldwork now, or is it that all the victims are female, or something else?

My feeling was that it only starts after the interrogation scene, and she's that gung-ho because now she feels like she has something to prove.

Maybe it's better to have Professor Shen where he can keep an eye on him?

I definitely think that's part of it!

But what did he see with his own eyes?? Zhang Danni his fine.

Ha, I was wondering about that too!

Zhang Danni's bf runs at Shen Wei but away from ZYL - huh. I wonder if Zhu Jiu told them to target/test Shen Wei.

Oh, that's an interesting thought, that could definitely be!

SW pointing out the blood at the crime scene doesn't match the victim -- I really strongly feel the SID should have noticed that!

I'm pretty sure Zhao Yunlan at least did? I don't think Shen Wei is saying anything here that Zhao Yunlan doesn't already know.

CSZ a thousand times. I love him!!

Haha, RIGHT????? :D

[trobadora]

Nothing to do with this episode in particular, but I am so curious about the wall of clocks, it's such a neat look but does it have a purpose?

I always wonder about that too! It's definitely striking, but I don't even remember any fic that did anything with it.

I'm not sure why they had Shen Wei mention the Yashou, him knowing about the Dixing was already unusual enough but to also know about the Yashou? And as many details as he did? That seemed like it should have been something that would have caused at least some questions on behalf of the SID.

Causing questions is part of why he does it, I'm sure - he's not at all trying to fly under the radar; he's very deliberately drawing attention to himself. He wants Zhao Yunlan's attention, and IMO he also wants to test the SID and see how they handle him and his knowledge.

Shen Wei healing himself was an interesting choice. Did he think ZYL wouldn't notice or that it looked like somehow he'd just gotten blood on his arm and was wiping it off?

I figure he healed himself on reflex and only afterwards realised that hadn't been ideal since Zhao Yunlan could still see the blood. So he pretended it wasn't his and wiped it off. But of course Zhao Yunlan did catch on, yeah!

And the nice nod and mention of the "Wei" backstory! *sighs happily*

Yes! That's so good!

The sting operation falling apart the way it did was meh. It's a common trope (although one I don't particularly like) that for some reason the bad guys know everything and counter the good guys' plans for no real reason in particular.

Idk, I think it matters both that Zhao Yunlan isn't involved, and that they think they're dealing with a face-stealer, but in fact they're dealing with a duo of Dixingren, one of whom is a face-stealer and the other has a knock-out green mist power. So even if they'd been more competent at it (if Chu Shuzhi hadn't left Zhu Hong - they needed one more person on the case!) - the fake Zhang Danni's power could still have made everything fall apart.

I really thought Zhu Jiu was going to be the big bad throughout the drama due to the way he'd been introduced, I'm still not sure if random editing changed his role or not.

I think that's a pretty standard structure, with the initial villain suddenly defeated just as it turns out he's not the one ultimately behind everything ...

[trobadora]

But what's weird about it is all the minute-hands are pointing to different numbers, too. Usually time zones only differ by the hour.

Right? I have a WIP that deals with it, but it's been stalled for ages. Maybe one day ...

Here, again, we see him being quite open about his knowledge, so we know that it's deliberate.

Yes! This! :D

[trobadora]

That makes sense to me! He wants to keep tabs on Shen Wei and figure him out, but also, ideally he wants to keep the SID separate from its leader so the others can do their thing.

Yeah, it would make a lot of sense!

But actually, especially Da Qing (because it would be so interesting to see how Shen Wei handles him and his missing memories!) and Wang Zheng (because I honestly have no idea how that would go).

Haha, it would be so weird to send Wang Zheng in to interview him. She's HR! But I'd love to see it too.

Idk, Zhu Hong is supposedly the office manager, is that any less weird? Wang Zheng could test Shen Wei's reaction to an energy being, in more contrast with Guo Changcheng! :D

And yes, definitely DQ. (Oh, do I have to try to write that? Ooh. *makes a note*)

I already made a note to request it in Wishlist next year, if you don't write it first. *g*

He tells himself he's keeping an eye on the very suspicious professor, because something is clearly up with him.

I don't know if he's not serious, or if he just can't express it with sincerity. Like, I think he wants it to be true, but it's going out on a limb to assert it, so he dresses it up in compliments.

Yeah, I think he's very aware that they aren't friends yet. So he can't seriously claim it, and can't bring himself to be sincere about how much he wants to. But of course from Shenj Wei's POV, they have been friends for 10,000 years. *g*

That's how I see it, anyway: ZYL wanting but unable to fully admit he wants.

Yeah, agreed, including to himself.

Like, a little wrangle about SW's status. But SW's lips don't move, so I have no idea.

Yeah, it could ahve worked that way! But it's all Zhao Yunlan's sentence; he's the only one speaking. (Not just because Shen Wei's lips don't move, but also because it's Zhao Yunlan's voice throughout.)

I always read that as SW in professor mode counselling someone who's pretty much student age (or acting like it). I think ZYL does, too, and that's why he links it to intellectualism later.

Yeah, agreed!

Yes! ZYL is treating the thing between them as a game, at this point, right? Smiling triumphantly at having caught SW out.

Yeah, I think so too.

Yes! It makes up for sending Xiao-Guo off with her!!

With Da Qing keeping an eye out it should be safe for Xiao-Guo. *g*

I always thought it was setting up the situation so he can explode Lin Yusen -- but now I'm not sure. It could be kidnapping the SID team members.

Definitely going to pay attention to this in the second half!

It always feels so mean to me. Just because it's not ZH's usual style, doesn't mean she looks silly and laughable. I think she looks amazing!! ;-p

She does look amazing! But I think Lin Jing and Zhu Hong have that kind of sibling dynamic where her being ~sexy is something that's inherently hilarious to him. He just doesn't see her that way at all.

Oh, I thought he was looking for Zhu Jiu, but Zhao Yunlan's exclamation interrupts, and he goes off to check on him instead. Like, he doesn't want to get caught mid-dark-energy-vision, AND he's partly there to keep ZYL safe, so...?

But Zhao Yunlan isn't anywhere near, he can't be caught out. It takes Shen Wei a while to catch up with him and Lin Yusen. So I think he's only hearing him through his black energy search power, not directly.

He could still have been searching for Zhu Jiu, but changing his mind once he found Zhao Yunlan instead, of course.

Srsly, best episode! (I've written SO MUCH FIC for this ep, lol.)

Haha, yeah! Me too. Well, only one fic, but 20k is still a lot, right? *g*

[facethestrange]

Thank you so much! ♡♡♡♡♡

"Always glad when I'm not the only one not into real-time chat. *g*"

Saaaaame! :D *big high five* More than a quarter of a century on the internet, and nothing has changed for me in this regard. xD

Btw I feel the need to clarify, because I don't want any recipient of my gifts to EVER think that I didn’t have a blast creating for them! :D ♡ The vast majority of what I made are literally treats, with no 'obligations' attached at all, and re: the couple of actual assignments, I started writing them before I even got them assigned because I knew I would treat them anyway. :D So yeah, I did all of it 100% for fun, and fun was achieved, zero regrets. :D

(And now I'm off to edit some more fic, and then finish watching this half of the episode! :D)

[facethestrange]

♡♡♡♡♡!! AWWWWW, best kind of hug! :D ♡♡♡ *HUGS BACK*

[trobadora]

More than a quarter of a century on the internet, and nothing has changed for me in this regard. xD

*high five right back at you*

♥ ♥ ♥

[china_shop]

*cheers on your WIP*

[china_shop]

*joins in the high-fiving*

*clings to Dreamwidth and email, lol*

[china_shop]

and IMO he also wants to test the SID and see how they handle him and his knowledge.

Oh, good point! I didn't think of that.